Charming Snakes
by cheekybby
Summary: Verse for next gen fics :Part 3: Silence is One Great Art of Communication. The boys find themselves silenced the first week back at school but somehow they end up even closer when they can hardly communicate.
1. Forging a Friendship

**First part of the 'charming snakes' verse, which includes **_**We bury the Past **_**.**

**I own nothing at all. JK Rowling owns all. This is all fictional and no profit is made, no offence intended.**

**So this has been born from my 7spells livejournal challenge, I want to try and explore Scorpius Malfoy more, and Al comes with that.**

**Reviews are great. **

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Cold feet pounded along freezing stone floors, classrooms beckoning, teachers waiting with narrowed glances and sighs. Professor Flitwick waited patiently for the new first years to enter his classroom, balanced carefully on a stack of old books, smile playing about his lips. Filius loved teaching the new generations, whether muggle born or children of past students. He loved seeing the gleam in their eyes as they realised what they could now achieve with the instrument held in their hands.

He watched over the rim of his spectacles as the first brave yet cautious lions peered around the doorway, startling as they noticed him perched on his stack, smiling slightly and nodding wary heads as they slowly entered the room and chose their seats, as far from the professor as they could. Naturally. Only Miss Granger, that is to say, Mrs Weasley, had ever voluntarily sat in the front row for her first class and the other who had come close, well, Lily would always be a bittersweet memory.

He couldn't help the bounce in his feet as the first Claws marched into the room, brimming with eagerness to learn, unafraid of their small yet mighty head of house. They were quick to snatch the seats a row back from the front, hands snatching at their textbooks in their book bags and rucksacks as they prepared for the lesson to start.

Filius beamed with pride and glances at the clock. Five to nine. Five minutes to go before the lesson began. Years ago, his class would have been ready, two groups, two houses, but things were different now. They had to be. The houses were halved for classes and often mixed up into different groups, but one thing was certain. Until the students entered third year, and their choices divided them, every class would contain students from every house. Hogwarts no longer played a part in encouraging pointless petty divides, and that, was something Filius would always be proud of.

Feet scuffling across the floor boards outside signalled the rest of his class and the Puffs and Snakes seemed to fall into the room more than they walked. One group regained their composure and the other, chattered away and stumbled over show laces before falling into silence. Filius would never get over how wide eyed and innocent the Slytherins looked these days though, keeping a hold of their wary united manners, but now, more like the school children they should be, and less like the loathed criminals they had been treated like before. It reminded him, in the bad times, that war can bring good things, changes he would never revert from.

Normally, it was his own house that held Filius' attention more, but now, it was the Slytherins. Two, to be precise. He was quite sure that many would be shocked, some perhaps horrified, to see Harry Potter's second son, Albus, sorted into the snake pit. But Filius had met him once or twice at different places, and knew it was less about the 'evil' some naive fools still connected with that house, and more about the cunning that one had to have to live with a brother like James Potter. Filius himself, didn't have to teach said Potter until Wednesday, and for that, was more than grateful. Albus had chosen a seat by the window, third row back, behind a Ravenclaw girl Filius hadn't caught the name of yet, and he looked content enough, but wary. Wary, the Professor had no doubt, because people knew who he was, where he came from, and what a shock his sorting had been. The Charm's master was more than sure that he would face difficulties for that at some point, unfair of course, yet inevitable.

But it wasn't Albus Potter that had his attention really. No, it was the boy sitting next to him, the last person he would expect to see sitting to Al's left. Scorpius Malfoy .

The blond had his back straight in his chair, met his professor's wondrous gaze without a flinch, yet Filius had been a teacher for over 50 years, he had taught three generations of his family, taught the most vicious of his relatives, in Bellatrix Black, taught the enigma who hadn't been what he might have been in Sirius Black, and of course, the one who was put through choices no one his age should have , in his own father Draco, and simply nodded his head with a smile, while seeing straight through the facade.

Scorpius was clearly terrified. As well he should be. Many students, more the elder ones to be fair, would heard his name and cry 'Death Eater', cry that, or hex the boy, and that clearly scared him. It wasn't anything anyone else would see, just a glimmer of ear that teachers saw too often to ignore. But he wouldn't say anything, because there was a second glint in the shimmering silver stare, and that said, it wouldn't be appreciated.

They came from so different backgrounds, raised in such different circumstances, one with more family than most could handle and the other, with hardly a sole. They were almost born to hate each other, yet on the first day of their Hogwarts career, they sat side by side in the charms classroom, and Filius was sure, that that was truly something. It would be more than interesting to see what would happen. Their families had been enemies almost as long as they had existed, over one thing or the other, and with the wars that had claimed so many, that hadn't look likely to change. Yet here they were.

Interesting. Interesting indeed.

"Levitation. Is the art of moving an object of your will by...."

*********

Scorpius tried not to twitch in his seat. He had seen the way the professor had looked at him. Like he was looking right through him, seeing things Scorpius couldn't imagine. It made him feel uncomfortable, even though his father, his grandmother even, had assured him that the Charms Professor would be one of the better ones to be around. One who would treat him based on his performance in his class alone and not where he came from, his father had said.

Maybe it would be different for Scorpius, or maybe he was just looking at Potter.

Scorpius was sitting beside the second Potter son, really for one reason. He hadn't glared at him yet.

In fact, he had been almost nice to him. Normal. When they had both found themselves at the Slytherin table, one expecting it, the other, only fearing it, Albus had asked his name, though Scorpius was certain he already knew it. They hadn't talked per say, but they had made conversation and they had been polite, learned a few facts and maybe most importantly, left their families out of the discussion.

Albus loved chocolate frogs, Scorpius preferred sugar quills. Random facts but ones both were eager to learn, if only to avoid what other people wanted to ask them. Though the house divides were a thing of the past, the hats decision giving you a place to sleep, rather than a place in life these days, Slytherin had still divided over the sorting.

Half hated what were the boys came from, some finding one scum, good, a mistake from the ceremony that needed to be corrected, the others simply despising what stood before them, what they now shared a home with and blaming him for the faults of his forefathers. The other half of the dungeon, just wanted a quiet life, a simple life at Hogwarts, for whatever reason, and hated the new additions who would draw attention and disturb the peace they had fought to surround themselves with.

Scorpius wouldn't say they were friends yet, but they were not enemies, and that was enough to find them beside each other in their first class, learning how to levitate feathers, when really, they would both rather learn how to make brooms fly.

******

"Albus? We both have Herbology next right?", Scorpius panted as he followed Albus down the stairs to the first floor, his hair already a state from a charm gone wrong across the room.

Albus and himself had had to dive to ground for cover and it had been a far more exciting lesson than either had prepared for.

"Yeah, I think so. I do so um...yeah. Want to sit next to each other?"

Scorpius could only beam at the unsure look on his companion's face, knowing that for at least one more period, he could at least partially shield himself from the glares and the bigotry of his collective classmates.

"That would be great."

Albus smiled, eyes bright and honest and so very not what you would call Slytherin, but Scorpius couldn't help but smile back.

***********

Professor Longbottom awaited his next class with a nervous jerk in his movements that he had never really been able to get rid of. He knew who he had next, first years. First years that included one of his closest and truest friend's son. He had already had James first thing. It didn't seem fair to get Albus so soon after. Not fair in the slightest. One Potter was bad enough, two seemed plain mean, and he really didn't want to think about what it would be like when there were three of them running around. The Potter family was surrounded by mishaps and trouble. It had always been that way, probably always would be. They shocked people, like it was in their DNA, and Al's sorting, well, that had really been something. Neville wouldn't have pinned Al for Slytherin, Ravenclaw maybe, certainly not Gryffindor, but not Slytherin. That had been a shock, but who had followed him through the door, that had been a bigger shock.

Neville would have to watch Scorpius Malfoy. Not because he was trouble, not because he was dangerous, and not because he appeared to be like Draco in any way, but because Neville was positive that his Hogwarts career could possibly become hell on earth if he didn't have the right people around him. When Neville was at school, it was the muggle born children who went through hell, now it was the children of those tormentors who faced the jeers and disgust. There was always one who was taken down because they were different, and among normal children, quiet children, shy children and inconspicuous children, Scorpius Malfoy was clearly different, and that, judging by the way a Hufflepuff had barged him half into the doorway as he followed Al in, was clearly a problem.

*****

Albus wandered into the green house considerably more relaxed than he had been when he walked into Charms. He knew Neville. Neville was safe and kind and he had nothing to worry about apart from maybe a plant trying to eat him.

" Shall we sit nearer the back? I don't want Ne-the teacher asking me things cause he knows me."

When he heard nothing he turned to see his house mate rubbing his shoulder with a wince,

"Are you ok?", Albus frowned.

" 'M fine.", Scorpius mumbled, "Let's go back there. Try hide behind that thing."

Al nodded, saying nothing. He wouldn't know what to say. Scorpius had clearly been shoved, and it could only be for one reason, because no one knew him in this class, to not like him. The eleven year old didn't like that, not one bit.

"Sure. As long as you are sure it won't try and eat us."

Scorpius smirked, and shook the bangs from his face,

"I'm pretty sure the professor wouldn't have a plant that could eat us in the same green house as the one he has a first year class in Potter."

Al merely sneered and looked for his book.

"Yeah well. If it eats me, I'll haunt you."

Scorpius smiled weakly and turned his attention to the now lecturing professor, not sure what Al was trying to do. Perhaps that was how friends behaved, or siblings. He wouldn't know. He didn't really have friends when he was growing up, just his parents, grandmother and the elves. But he wasn't sure if they were friends, they hadn't said they were, didn't really have reasons to be if they were. But if they could be, Scorpius reckoned that would be ok.

****

They sort of settled into a routine after that first morning, sitting next to each other in class because they didn't ask each other about if they knew dark spells or when they found out about what their father had done and who he really was. They were able to slowly talk to new people, in other houses and things seemed to be ok, but then, there was the day where it wasn't.

"Oi Malfoy! I thought Hogwarts had wards to keep Death Eaters out. How did you get in?"

Scorpius' cheeks had burned with shame, anger and something he wasn't sure he knew about, but he could only mumble what would become his standard response,

"Shut it, I'm not a Death Eater!"

"Daddy is. How does it feel to know your father is a murderer?"

Scorpius' felt his fists clench, his teeth grind against one another as he rose to his feet in the courtyard where they were enjoying the autumn air after classes,

"My dad didn't kill anyone!"

"As good as!", the burly third year had shot back.

"You don't know anything about what happened back then! You weren't there!"

He felt a tug on the back of his robes, but shrugged it off, anger boiling under the surface,

"Neither were you pipsqueak!"

"I....you.... What would you know anyway?!",

"Leave it Scorpius", Albus mumbled in his ear, before turning to the group of boys on the other side of the path who had appeared from the Quidditch pitch, " You lot and all! It's over now! We weren't there, it's done."

The third year, a Ravenclaw who really, should have known better just scoffed and made as if to move forward. Scorpius jerked slightly, but Al had a fistful of his robes again, and didn't seem likely to let go,

"You have no idea what I lost to the likes of his family's scum."

"Don't I?", Al said, voice sharp, suddenly sounding allot older than his eleven years, emerald eyes burning, entrancing Scorpius and making several of his classmates step back,

"I lost more than any of you can understand! Read a damn history book and it will tell you everything I lost. And that is only the start of it. The war is over!"

He dragged Scorpius away after that, up the steps and into the entrance hall, leaving the older boys and his chums spluttering behind him.

"You shouldn't listen to them you know. They are talking crap.", he stated knowingly, while the blond in front of him adjusted his robes and tried to calm down,

"I...it's not....my dad never killed anyone!", Scorpius pleaded, willing the raven haired boy before him to understand,

"I know!"

Scorpius stared, but yes, of course Al knew. Al's father was the reason his whole family wasn't in Azkaban. He didn't know why he had said anything, there was no need, and certainly no need to admit to some of the things people had been trying to force from him, like his families place in the war,

"Why did you say anything? No one else did."

Albus just stared at him, then spoke, slowly, like Scorpius was a dim-witted child.

"You're my friend. It's like...my job to say something. It's what mates do."

Scorpius blinked. Friends? With Albus Potter? That would be scandalous, that would be unheard of, it would shock his grandfather beyond words, it would probably make his father, well he didn't even know. But then again, they had been hanging out for weeks, months now. That was friends right? That could be ok, couldn't it? Everyone was allowed to have friends. It would be hard, real hard, but Scorpius reckoned that being friends with Albus Potter, that could be ok.

"Right. Well....thanks I guess."

Albus just smiled and adjusted his bag on his back,

"Well, now that the drama is sorted, want to go to the kitchens and get some ice-cream? My mum recons any bad feelings can be got rid of with some decent ice-cream."

Scorpius smiled in return and took his bag from Al, who had brought it inside,

"Sounds like a smart woman your mum! Ice cream sounds awesome!"

*****

Filius Flitwick sighed as he moved in between the desks of students and supervised their attempts to turn their feathers a different colour. Albus and Scorpius had already completed the task, as they always did and were now talking quietly in the back corner while trying something new Filius had had to come up with off the top of his head. The boys were so bright. Filius hoped they would take his subject far, but then again, he thought that at least once every year with first years, and no one had really had any ambition with charms since before the war. Transfiguration seemed so much more interesting to them for some reason.

Filius had suspected, those couple of months that they could be friends, but, he hadn't thought too much on it. He certainly didn't expect them to still be sitting by each other by November. Families, history and too many differences, he was sure, would have driven them apart. Yet it hadn't and now, really, they were the model students in his class. Eager to learn, respectful and polite.

It still befuddled him though.

The Potter Malfoy feud, the Weasley Malfoy feud, they had existed so long, no one really knew what started them, like a circle of hate, where no one knew where the beginning was, or where the end could come from. Yet here they were, in his class, giggling at the back of the room with purple feathers and floating above their heads, happy as they could be while in class at the end of the day. Maybe they would be different, maybe they could be friends, real friends, break the cycle of hate. The feathers floated to the ground when the boys gave a start, Finnegan having blown up her feather and half her table with it. She was going to be just like her father, and that wasn't a good thing. As he swished his wand, repaired the table, fixed Sarah's ripped robe and instructed her on where she went wrong, he caught sight of the feather, broken in half between the two boys, broken like the feud that should have divided them.

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	2. Five Shades

**Author Note: Some of the things Al says something being 'gay' at one point are not offensive. It is just a British term for saying something is lame. This is a British fandom. Don't get offended please. I used the prompt 'five shades of white' vaguely for this fic which is part of my 7spells challenge. I don't have a betta for this. Mistakes are my own. I know where this is going but not how we are going to get there. This is my next gen verse though, and it grows more every day. These fics are other parts of the Charming Snakes Universe which will fall into place as the next parts are written. We bury the Past hints at a relationship between Harry and Draco that took place years ago. Set after Scorp and Al's fourth year. Ridiculous Notions is a fic about a falling out between the boys in their seventh year. Lilly comforts Scorp.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit from any of these works.**

* * *

Neville could hear the laughter and the footsteps long before he caught sight of any students heading towards the green house. He double checked the Mandrakes were in the right trays and that he had counted the ear muffs set out correctly. Second years, and a mixture of all houses. Somehow the fact that the houses didn't fight the same, that competition between them was friendly, still surprised him. He remembered, as he vanished the dirt the fourth years had left on the floor, how during his first years as a professor, he had struggled to give and take house points, not wanting to do it out of place, not wanting to favour any one house and certainly, not wanting to punish one as he remembered Snape doing in his time.

It had really only been when he became head of Gryffindor house that he really allowed himself to do so freely, that he stopped thinking about it and just did it. It had given him a confidence his friends insisted was still buried inside him, not forgotten from the battle of Hogwarts and that dreadful seventh year as he had told himself it was.

The murmur of moving students became louder and he settled himself in front of his desk, awaiting the group he knew was about to stumble through the door. Albus fell in first, followed swiftly by Rose Weasley and then Scorpius Malfoy. They were an odd trio if Neville has ever seen one. Rose has spent a good portion of her first year hating anything and everything to do with the Malfoy, Slytherin house to boot and that, had included her cousin Al.

It had been a shame and something completely unexpected. Neville vividly remembered hearing Harry bemoan the situation over several more fire whiskeys than was necessary during the summer when they had all caught up. The whole situation existed because Ron was still as thick headed as ever and had passed his prejudice towards Slytherins onto sweet Rosie. She was kind enough to them normally, but Malfoy, he was different. Neville remembered having to call Ron and Hermione in that February after she had started a huge confrontation in the library, her fiery Weasley temper getting the better of her, as she had demanded Al choose between his best friend and his cousin. Accusations had flown and Neville was sure Scorpius' mask of indifference had slipped more than once. Al had said Rosie's behaviour was bordering on racist, Rosie said Weasleys didn't make friends with Slytherins, James had stepped in to defend his brother for once and reminded her that Al, _was_ a Slytherin.

It had all been a very odd series of events, with an even stranger outcome. Somehow, Rose, Al and Scorpius had ended up the best of friends. Ron had been furious, but somehow, that had just amused Harry and everything had fallen into something resembling normal. It was strange to see a Weasley and a Malfoy stumble into his classroom amidst smirks and giggles. Unnatural. Yet he couldn't imagine them apart now. Scorpius hadn't made it to the Burrow that summer, if George was to be believed, but Neville was pretty sure it was only a matter of time.

With one large table sprawling out before them, the students stumbled into place, bags being dropped onto the floor and hands immediately reaching for aprons, earmuffs, textbooks and gloves. Neville didn't have to say a word and beamed with suppressed pride as the class readied themselves for their lesson among idle chitchat, members of all houses tangled in amongst those who fifty years ago might have been mortal enemies. Blood wasn't an issue within the walls of Hogwarts anymore and it was rare that an incident flared up. Even if it did, Neville had witnessed the strangest of events in his years of teaching. The prejudice had all but reversed itself and if anyone was targeted for their heritage, it was the pureblood contingent of the school, a false assumption among the muggle born or half blood children that if anyone would know curses, if anyone was abusing the pure gift of magic, it would be those who descended from the people who had done everything in their power to all but destroy their world. Foolish assumptions, but were all children not fools in some way? Perhaps. Perhaps it was just impossible to stop hatred and suspicion in one way or the other. Nothing good could come of it in the end but at least this time it seemed the destruction wouldn't be inevitable, that perhaps it would be merely animosity. The world wasn't just black and white; it was grey and shades of everything in between. But what did a Herbology Professor know? He was teaching fools, so perhaps he was the biggest fool there was. Or maybe, as his vision clouded with a long ended battle, it was just better to think that way.

Snapping out of morbid thoughts, Neville's mind wandered to a second year class long ago that he never saw the end of and he smiled, pushing off from his desk and rattling his wand on the table.

"Good morning class. The properties of the mandrakes are more than simply fascinating. Who can tell me what makes a mandrake dangerous if you are not wearing the splendid ear muffs you have been handed out?"

***

Scorpius wrestled with the mandrake as Al held the pot steady and Rose stood ready with her trowel. He had been warned by his mother about what Herbology would bring this year and why he should pay attention and 'not let the little buggers get you' as his mother had stated, her well to do facade dropping for a moment as she showed her clear distain at a previously forgotten memory. Gritting his teeth, he pulled the foul little creature free, and grimaced as he heard a faint shrieking over the padding of his ear muffs. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a Ravencalw swaying on her feet and her Hufflepuff friend adjust the muffs she was wearing with a firm slap to her ears, jolting her out of what Scorpius and by the looks of things, Professor Longbottom saw as the beginning of a fainting spell.

It was insane and slightly barbaric he thought that they still had twelve year olds dealing with these things when he knew that James was only dealing with tropical plant that might spew purple goo all over you if you irritated it. He would take that over a mandrake any day.

A sharp poke to his side snapped him out of his ponderings and he turned to look at Albus, irritated, but obviously not as irritated as the Potter who was gesturing rather rudely with his hands and clearly, telling Scorpius to ruddy well get on with things.

***

"Honestly!" Rose shrieked the minute they were out the green house, "What the hell are they playing at making us deal with those things. I thought I was going to lose a bloody finger!"

"Don't play it down or anything Rosie. You say what you feel." Scorpius drawled.

"I will!" She stated with a glare.

"I bet you will."

"If you two are done bickering like an old married couple" Albus broke in, "Scorpius and I have places to be, Transfiguration mainly."

Rose immediately brightened up at the sound of classes, work, and Albus sighed as he watched her fall into what he had dubbed, Aunt Hermione mode. In turn Scorpius scowled at him and the implication but a faint pink tinge coloured his cheeks. Al tried to ignore that and the odd feeling in his stomach to boot.

"Of course. Don't dawdle the pair of you and don't make the teacher angry whatever you do. It is only the first day back to classes. I don't get why they bring us back on a Saturday, even if it was September the first. Sometimes Hogwarts takes tradition too far. "

Al pulled a face, not bothered about the day they had spent playing chess and making trouble either way, and adjusted his bag over his shoulder while Scorpius scoffed,

"I think we manage that on principle just because we are Slytherins. He was a Puff at school and seems rather irritated at us in general." The Malfoy heir stated with a vague disinterest that Rose was sure he had been _taught_ as opposed to being naturally capable of.

"Understatement!" Al snorted to Rose's glower of disgust.

"Professor Macmillan is a fine teacher and would do nothing of anything you are implying."

Her cousin looked confused and the blond turned on him with a look of amused distain.

"Is that really the best you can do Weasley? Trying to confuse him into submission?" he stated, while gesturing in Al's direction, "I get that your mother probably told you wonderful things about him but my mother said he flounced about Hogwarts like he was all that when she was here and trust me, from what Jenkins was saying last night, he hasn't had a smile for any of us since he got here while he is all but hugging everyone else."

"Its prejudice" Al butted in, "He is one of those Muppets who won't let the war die, probably because he did bugger all in it."

"Are you accusing a professor of being a glory hunter?"

"I'm accusing him of being a twat and he can prove me wrong when he shows me how to change something into something else." Al mumbled, looking around shiftily as if he was all but waiting on the teacher in question to swoop down on him.

Rose shook her head and pushed open the oak doors, leading the two boys into the entrance hall before coming to a halt.

"Honestly Al. I mean, _really_ change something into something else? How unintelligent. And while he might be...."

"A git?" Scorpius supplied with a smile.

"Confident." Rose replied with a glare "He wouldn't have the job if he wasn't capable. He was part of the DA wasn't he? Uncle Harry said he would be great."

"My dad thinks faded blue jeans are still cool Rose. Outside of his Auror duties, I don't think his opinion counts all that much." Al replied coolly while folding his arms. "I'm not convinced. Last year's teacher wasn't up to much either and now this?"

"At least wait till you have had a lesson to make up your mind!"

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Aren't you going to Potions?"

Recognising her dismissal, Rose harrumphed, cheeks blazing and marched off down the side corridor towards the Potions labs while Scorpius shook his head and began leading Albus up the stairs.

"What?"

"Nothing mate."

"No really, what?"

Scorpius smiled and looked Albus up and down, somehow managing to look allot older than he was as he did it.

"Nothing mate. You just have a real way with people is all."

"Don't all us snakes?" Albus replied with a smirk.

His friend grinned and by the time they waltzed into their classroom they were both trying not to laugh, neither really sure what was so funny. Ernie Macmillan sat at his desk, grinding his teeth at the thought of teaching of all things when he was clearly so much better. A favour for the minister. Trying to get him and his opinions out the way more like. He was above this, but it looked good on his file.

"This is going to be something isn't it?" Albus asked quietly.

Scorpius nodded and got his textbook out his bag, readying himself to take notes and bracing himself. It was only as their new teacher began to babble on that Albus realised something. Out on the lawns, coming up to the castle, was the first time Scorpius had mentioned his family voluntary for months and said something good to boot. Albus wasn't sure that was entirely normal but nothing about Scorpius and his family seemed normal, nothing about being around Scorpius was normal and everything came back to his family.

His dad was a smart man, even if he made fun of what he thought was cool and he had once told him that in life, things were not black and white. They were different colours and every colour had several shades. Scorpius and his family was one of those things with several shades and Albus was determined to get to the bottom of it all.

***

"Well that was thrilling." Scorpius drawled as they left the classroom, his stomach grumbling as they headed down towards the Great Hall for lunch.

Al snorted.

"What? You didn't think his explanation was thrilling?"

"I think actually getting us to do something usually gives out better results."

"Whatever. Rose will have a fit when she has his class. She is all about the practical side of things. Add to that that she stood up for him and it turns out we were right....she won't be impressed to be proved wrong, might get a bit ratty about to be honest."

"That is because she is a Weasley" Scorpius remarked as fought their way through a gaggle of third year Ravenclaws. " All action with them lot."

"Don't you mean us lot?" Al asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That too."

"Whatever. Git."

Scorpius nodded happily and bustled into the Great Hall, gravitating towards the Slytherin table automatically. He grabbed a roll and filled a bowl with soup, reaching over a tangle of hands to get a spoon. Albus edged in next to him and grabbed a sandwich and an apple while chewing on his lower lip and thinking.

"Scorp?"

"Mmm?"

"You.....you said your mum remembered Professor Macmillan from school?"

Scorpius munched on his roll and raised an eyebrow, nodding and snatching at a jug of pumpkin juice.

"Yeah, he was a couple of years above her, in my Dad's year. But then...you would know that surely. It was your Dad's year too. " His voice was wary, as if he wasn't sure where Al was going with his statement and Al was fine with that, because he didn't know either.

" Does she talk about school often?"

Scorpius blinked and placed the jug on the table where it was immediately snatched away by a housemate without him noticing. His face seemed to lose all emotion, as if he was putting a barrier in place without really realising it, years of pointed fingers because of who he was forcing up defences his best friend was hurt he thought he needed. Al fought the urge to flinch away from him.

"Now and then I guess. Everyone...they are a bit wary about talking about it now though aren't they? There are lots of things people don't want to remember, think about."

Albus nodded and Scorpius returned to his lunch, pouring all his attention into dipping his bread in the soup and adding some salt. The black haired twelve year old returned to his own lunch and thought about everything he knew about Astoria Malfoy. It wasn't much and with Scorpius being his best friend, that seemed wrong somehow. He had told Scorpius all about his family, whether through ranting or just prattling on, and the blond probably felt like he knew Ginny Potter really well, despite never actually meeting the woman.

"So what does she talk about?"

He hadn't looked up from his sandwich and to look at the boys, you wouldn't know they were talking about anything more serious than their timetables.

"Stuff. When people botched a potion, that Charms was her favourite class. Does it matter?"

"I'm just wondering. My parents liked defence but the teachers were naff. What about your dad? Does he talk about things?"

"No." Scorpius stated, growled, flat and a warning to drop it. Drop it and be done with it, just as he always warned when Draco Malfoy was brought into conversation.

The blond was tense and Al backed off, flashes of the previous years and bickering with older boys and a fight with Rose making him stop. He obviously didn't want to talk about his family, ever. And Albus, a boy raised in such a loving family where everyone gossiped and passed on information on the rest, wanted to know why.

***

For a few days, a feeling of unease settled over both boys, as if they knew a conversation was coming and one was fighting to stop it while the other tried to find the right time to start it. Rose came and went between the two boys and her Gryffindor class mates and said nothing while sending suspicious glances their way. Where the trio would normally be boisterous and chatty on their way to class, they now walked in silence and away from the main groups of students.

Glances passed between the cousins and Al resolved to get the conversation over and done with, partly afraid of destroying their friendship by being nosey, but unable to cope with the strange tension.

He waited until their dorm mates were asleep and climbed out his bed, the small hours of the morning sending a chill through the room as he tip towed from his bed and made his way over to Scorpius's. He squinted in the dark and looked into the room, only pulling the curtain back when he was sure everyone was still asleep. As expected Scorpius was fast asleep, blond hair sprawled out around his head, only his nose and above peeking out from under the covers. Something about the image, the representation of an innocence Scorpius had never really had stopped Albus in his tracks for a moment.

Scorpius turned in his sleep and Albus blinked, reaching out to shake Scorpius's shoulder.

"Scorp? Scorp wake up! Scorpius!"

The Malfoy heir turned in his sleep and Albus shook him more forcefully until his eyes flickered open. For a moment he just stared at his friend, blinking several times until he took everything in.

"Al?"

"Yeah. I think we need to talk."

"What time is it?"

"Late...or early, depends how you want to look at it."

Scorpius groaned and struggled up into a sitting position, scowling as his brain processed what was going on.

"This is ridiculous. What could possibly be so important that you felt the need to wake me up for it in the middle of the ruddy night?"

Albus felt a blush spread across his cheeks, his face growing warm, but didn't look away from Scorpius's stare, edging onto the bed beside him and stealing the bottom corner of the duvet to cover his cold feet.

"Yeah well, we need to talk and we need privacy and I couldn't sleep."

Scorpius just glowered at him, far from amused. He did however, shift uncomfortably under the covers, pulling at the collar of his striped pyjamas as Al cast a Lumos to light up his bed. It was enough of a sign for Al to realise he was ready to talk. Or maybe he just realised he wasn't going to get anymore sleep until they had it out with each other.

"Right, get on with this madness then."

Faced with the chance to talk, Albus wasn't really sure what to say. He hadn't got that far. He had been expecting a fight and a huff and maybe even the cold shoulder.

"Right....yeah....well....."

"Al? Stop being a dweeb, I'm tired."

"Why....why don't you like talking about your family?"

Scorpius stared at him, the wand light casting an eerie shadow over them both.

"You woke me up....in the middle of the night....to ask why I don't talk about my family. Are you serious?"

When he said it like that, Albus felt his stomach squirm with unease. It sounded, frankly, ridiculous.

"Yes but no..."

"Yes but no?" Scorpius scoffed, his glare not quite as effective with his chin length hair tousled by sleep.

"It's weird. People talk about their families all the time and you flat out refuse to. I mean, I talk about mind all the time even if they are all berks."

"Is that such a fucking problem?" The blond snapped.

Al scowled but didn't back down. They were going to do this. His friend needed someone who understood. Or something like that. He flatly refused to acknowledge that Scorpius was swearing which meant he was irritated because Scorp just didn't do that.

"Scorpius. Pack it in. Don't get ratty. I just want to know. My dad is a hero and people ask about him all the time but I manage to talk about him. It is....it is strange that you can't. Or won't. If there.....if there is a problem, I just want to help you. I want to be your friend Scorp. Rose too."

"If there was a problem, it wouldn't be any of your concern. It would be mine."

"So there is a problem."

"I didn't _say_ that." Scorpius scowled.

"You didn't have to! Just talk to me!"

"Al it is the middle of the night! Let's _not _do this!"

"You keep avoiding me!" Al cried desperately. "You keep trying to avoid this so I ....I had to do something!"

"And this was your brainwave!"

"Hey I never claimed to be smart!"

That seemed to shut the pair up and they lapsed into silence.

"Al....why does it matter? You know it is hard to be...me. Isn't that enough information?"

Albus stared at him and watched the barriers his friend had put up slowly crumble down. For the first time, he wasn't sure this would be a good idea, that it would have a positive outcome. Maybe Scorpius kept things bottled up because it actually was the best thing for him.

"I know who you are Scorp. I knew who you were when I told that twat in fourth year who had a go last year where he could go. You're hiding parts of yourself from everyone and that is ok but you shouldn't have to hide things like that from your mates. I...don't want you to hide things from _me_."

Scorpius continued to stare at him with unblinking grey eyes and Albus couldn't do anything but meet his gaze with his own. Both felt something stir inside them. Something new and strange and kind of scary because it was a feeling they had never felt before.

"I don't like being part of my family. Most of the time the only one I even like, even a little but, is my mother. Is that what you want to hear? Because that is even more abnormal than just not talking about them isn't it? I don't like my father. I hate him. He isn't a murderer but he isn't a nice person either and most of the things he thinks are ridiculous and make me feel sick. Who my parents are or what some distant relation did Merlin knows how many years ago doesn't make me better than anyone else. It doesn't!"

His face was getting flushed and Albus was startled. Part of him saw this coming but the rest of him wasn't ready to deal with it but Scorpius just kept talking.

" My grandparents...my grandfather...he is _vile_ Al and I worry that....I won't let what they are determine who I become. I won't. I'm different."

"Come off it! You are nothing like Lucius Malfoy and you never will be! Is that what you are worried about? Fuck Scorp, think about it! Your family doesn't make you who you are and everyone knows that!"

A dark look passed over Scorpius's face and he muttered, "Easy for you to say, your family is so amazing and wonderful and _loved_ while my family is despised by anyone who knows about the existence of magic. Even Muggleborns hate my family by the end of September. How is that fair?"

"It isn't Scorp but you can't let that rule you or anything!" Al said while burrowing further under the covers until the two boys were basically head to foot in the blonde's bed.

"I know that but....I don't even like them myself and that makes it harder! I just....I think that if I don't talk about how father still thinks defence should teach the dark arts too like at Durmstrang then people might like me and forget that I am part of all of that. I don't like to think about the family meals in huge dinner halls that are empty and silent with fancy cutlery and awkwardness when I hear about your family meals. They all sound so amazing Al, people talking and being genuinely happy to be around one another. I...I wish I had that."

Scorpius jaw snapped shut with an audible crack and Albus just stared at him from the other end of the bed.

"You....Scorpius you should have told me!"

"Told you what?" He said with a half whisper. "Told you I don't want to talk about my family because I don't want you to.....hate me too?"

Albus stared and then blurted you,

"Malfoy you are one daft git."

"What?"

"Daft. Git. You!" Albus said through gritted teeth, mind racing. "There is no need to hide. Just because your parents .....you can still say what they liked in school. I won't hate you. That would be daft and gay. Try remembering the good times. My Aunt Hermione....she remembers your mum from school and my mum and Aunt Luna sort of remember her. She was younger wasn't she? Apparently she was really smart but nice to people...like she wasn't ....mean like the other Slytherins."

"My mum isn't like the rest of them. All she did was get caught up in it all and... She never got us out."

His voice was quiet, like he wasn't really in the room with Albus and the young Potter worried. Scorpius didn't want to talk about his family because his home life...was bad? Bad enough to want to leave completely? It wasn't something Al could really wrap his mind around. Not when his family was so great. Sure they argued and most of his cousins annoyed the hell out of him but really there were no problems. Nothing that would mean he tried to deny being part of it. But when he thought about what Scorpius had said, his worries, the way he didn't even answer the simplest of questions about his parents, he understood the problem. His thoughts flashed back to the year before when they had been first years and the twat in third year had called Draco Malfoy a murderer. Albus was a Potter and he had stood up for him. When he thought about it, that was what stopped people doing the same thing again. It didn't stop them thinking it though. It didn't stop them whispering behind his back. All because of what his surname was.

"Thanks for telling me." It felt hollow, like ash in his mouth but it was all he had. He wasn't used to emotionally charged conversations that made him rethink the beliefs and ignorance of the wizarding world! He was only twelve after all. Nearly thirteen but he was old enough that he didn't point that out anymore.

"Yeah. Can we sleep now?"

Albus nodded dumbly and eased himself out the bed, wincing as his feet met cold floor. He didn't want to sleep. He wanted to think and ask more questions but wasn't sure how to go about it so sleep seemed like a good idea. Scorpius looked tired, not tired as in he hadn't had enough sleep but tired like he was emotionally drained and Al felt more than a bit guilty.

"Thanks for telling me Scorp."

"Yeah, whatever."

Albus climbed back into his own bed, placing his wand back on the night stand beside him and pulled the covers up to his chin. For a moment he held his breath as if he was waiting for Scorpius to say something more but it never came and he let it go.

His dad said nothing was as it seemed, like there were five shades of white and you had to try see each one in everything you faced in life. Albus was sure that was some Auror thing he parroted to his kids because it sounded good but when he actually thought about it, it made sense. Scorpius was like that. There were different sides to him and you just had to take the time to find them all and understand. Scorpius Malfoy was going to take a while to work out but from the way his stomach had squirmed earlier, Albus was sure he wouldn't mind that so much. In fact, he was sure it might even be a good thing.

**Reviews are love! And please check out the other side parts of this if you haven't before but liked this. I would love to hear what you think about this whole 'verse' as I put it together. **


	3. Silence: Great Art Of Conversation

**AN: **I own nothing and make no profits from this story.

_Sorry about the wait. I got sidetracked with other fandoms and lost my vibe for this a bit but hopefully there will not be the same gap between parts next time. Thank you for sticking with it. _

There were many ways Albus and Scorpius had thought their third year at Hogwarts might start but wayward silencing charms from seventh years in some sort of honour duel that rendered half their class speechless probably wasn't one of them. They have been to Professor Flitwick, the nurse, the headmaster and what felt like every expert in something or other in between and still the charms can't be removed. Professor Flitwick has wrung his hands and apologised so many times that Al just wants to grab him and make him _stop_. Apparently the seventh years had been experimenting at altering charms for extra credit because they were meant to be the _best_ in their field, or something like that. Al very much doubted they would be allowed to do such things again and try them out in a duel of all places. The things that happened at Hogwarts. If he concentrates hard enough, he can almost hear the rant from his Aunt Hermione in his head, probably starting with , _'Honestly!'_ and going on forever.

The end result is silence, utter silence, on the part of several third year snakes that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Apparently the charms would fade in their own time but whether that is two hours or two days is completely unknown because, it was an experiment after all. Scorpius is sure he had never written so much in his entire life. Every class they go to involved writing out what had happened to their teachers who didn't believe the note that Professor Flitwick gave them or their fellow students that supported their wild claims, irritated glances following them from one class to the next as they were tucked in a back corner away from their usual seats and given reading to do with notes to take so at least their teachers had something to look back on. Al hadn't wished he would do magic without speaking so much in his life. Some teachers just didn't bother and sent them back to their common room shaking their heads after trying to reverse the magic themselves. If the 'experts' couldn't do it, Scorpius wasn't sure what made them think they could.

Rose finds it hysterically funny and amuses herself by firing questions at them one after the other and watching them get more and more irritated that they can't answer her or tell her to be quiet. Al only just resists the urge to pull on her pigtails. It is somewhere into the second day of their silence that Al stops and thinks and finds himself a bit miffed. There isn't really anything he would say to Scorpius if he could. Scorpius had sent him letters over the summer and practically documented his every move in utter boredom, his parents awkwardly taking him to France where his skin had burned and he had spent most of his time reading in his room, exactly the same thing he had done the rest of the holidays anyway. In a way the imposed silence gave Al an excuse to avoid such things all together because it would seem silly to talk about it all once the charms faded later in the week. Gossip would have taken hold no doubt and though they would deny it through and through the two boys loved a good piece of gossip. Served well to manipulate people a fourth year told them wisely. Draco Malfoy had always instructed Scorpius to know what was going on around him to put himself into a better position. He had probably meant that as a way to get one up on his classmates but it served its purpose and gave them something to talk about in the common room at night.

In return, Albus had done so much over the summer that going back to school almost seemed like a break. He had been dragged from one family member to the next, across the continent visiting here, there and everywhere and somehow managing to fit in a three week family holiday to the United States while they were at it. That had been fun. They had gone on a muggle holiday and more than once his mum had nearly blown their cover as it were. Adding to that, escaping James and Lily really was like a reward. They were getting far too alike and they took far too much pleasure in winding him up. He had never been so glad that he was in a dungeon and they were in a tower with plenty of space in between.

Neither of them are sick but Scorpius still takes the opportunity to find an excuse for chocolate, the pair demolishing a huge bar of chocolate from France that tastes a bit different, but in a good way, and simply enjoying each other's company. It is over this long time (four days but they are teenagers who like to talk a lot so it seems like _years_) that they realise just how strong their friendship is. They don't need to talk, things don't get awkward when they find themselves locked in an impenetrable silence and every time they don't need to write something down because the other knows what they would say if they could anyway it makes them feel just that little bit better. To know that you have someone that knows you so well and added to that, it is someone that society says shouldn't want to be anywhere near you.

Sometimes they scribble notes but when it is a thought and rushed excitement is involved, they rarely understand the scratched scribbles and end up laughing at each other, in silence of course, and earning themselves strange looks from their housemates. Rose tries to look in the library for some way to help them, convinced she knows better than the staff, after winding them up gets too boring but in the end they just have to wait it out, having silent conversations and being thrown out half their classes until finally they wake up and when one of their dorm mates makes a remark at Albus while he is still half asleep he snaps back. And then realises he actually spoke.

"Scorpius! Scorpius the ruddy charm wore off! Wake up you tosser!" he shrieks, jumping on Scorpius' bed and shaking him until he appears from under the covers with a groan.

"Wha? What? Oh Merlin! I can talk!"

"You can talk!"

"We can talk!"

"You can both talk! Now shut up!" one of the other boys moans before rolling over in his bed, him having been one of the lucky ones though he swears it was that he had been iunlucky/i because he had to work in all his classes all week.

Scorpius and al take a few minutes to lie in a heap on Scorpius' bed and grin at each other before Al's stomach grumbles loudly and he blushes,

"I'm hungry."

"So I hear," Scorp teases, " And you stink, so, get a shower and I can have an extra ten minutes in bed and then we can go find Rose. You know she will kill us if she isn't one of the first to know we can talk again."

"Alright, alright, but don't let her hear you say that. She will start thinking things."

"The right things. Man she can be annoying sometimes."

"Yeah but she doesn't need to know that," Albus laughs before slipping from the bed and going to get his things together before heading off for a quick shower. Scorpius is turned back into his covers half asleep before he reaches the door.

When they _do_ find Rose, they glance at each other and settle down at the table next to her, ignoring the glowers they receive from some of her housemates that _still_ can't get over the fact that ,yes they are Slytherins and no, they are not moving. She nods at them, says good morning and they exchange glances over the top of her head, have a silent conversation before Scorpius nods. Al waits until Rose is sipping her orange juice before declaring, 'Good morning!', and watching with immense satisfaction as she spews it out over the breakfast of one of the boys that had glowered at them before.

"You have your voices back?"

"Yep! Charm faded overnight. Man, it is good to be able to talk again, about anything, everything, nothing at all!" Scorpius croons while snatching a piece of toast and buttering it, cramming it into his mouth as Al watches with disgust.

"Dude, chew! Anyway, yeah, seems we can talk again and have to, you know, work again."

"You should ask your professors if you can do extra lessons at the end of the day or after dinner to catch up on what you have missed over the past few days," Rose suggests while pouring herself more juice.

"How about no?" Al moans as Scorpius just stares at her and shakes his head.

"Never go looking for more work Rosie, just leads to you seeming like a teacher's pet."

"I didn't tell you to look for _more_ work Scorpius, I told you to catch up on _your_ work that you missed," Rose snaps, " Anyway, if the pair of you hadn't been dawdling you would have made it to class quicker and not been charmed in the first place!"

"I liked her more when she wasn't talking to us," Scorpius states perfectly seriously.

"Don't be a git," Rose says perfectly calmly while rising from the bench and nodding over towards where James is now advancing on them, "I think Jamie just noticed you can talk."

Albus rolls his eyes, " I had really hope he wouldn't, like ever. It was almost peaceful with him not nagging me every damn day. It is only fun if I snap back."

"Well don't snap back then!" Scorpius states in disbelief, waving a hand in the air as he finishes Rose's abandoned juice.

"Well I would but...I irritate him as much as he irritates me so it is worth it."

"Crazy, out of your god dam minds the lot of you," Scorpius declares while gathering his things and his third piece of toast as students start to leave the hall.

He manages to ignore the Potter brother's bickering until James heads down a different corridor on the third floor and then ignores Albus whining about what James said to him until they reach History of Magic.

"Should we tell him we can talk again?"

"Why would we want to do that? No one else is. You saw the look on Johnson's face. She won't talk," Al states with a sly grin.

"I like the way you think Potter."

They shuffle into class and take their seats up the back next to the other Slytherins who had been charmed, none of them willing to talk, and the rest of their house above tattling on them. They are Slytherins after all.

No one really pays attention in history but that morning Scorpius pays even less attention than normal, too busy turning the past few days over in his mind. Scorpius and Albus didn't really need words a lot of the time. They got on fine without them and he had enjoyed his time alone with Al, Rose in the library trying to find a cure or avoiding them because she wasn't sure about how to act. It had been different and it had been fun and he was almost disappointed to have to share him again. He was possessive, possessive over Al and that wasn't new. The more he thought about it over the summer, the more it seemed that feeling was more than just friendship. In a way he wanted to do something about it but he didn't know how, didn't know how relationships worked, wasn't even sure he was doing the friend part properly and the idea of taking things further and confronting Albus with his feelings sort of terrified him. But the feelings were there, they had grown those past couple of nights in front of the fire, watching the embers burn as the house trotted off to bed and they finished their chocolate while scribbling down the last paragraph of an essay and at some point he had a feeling, that one way or another, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was going to have to do something about the growing feelings he had for Albus Severus Potter.


End file.
